Desperate Measures
by acesdesire
Summary: Tidus and Cloud are out on a mission, but when Tidus ends up injured, what measures will Cloud have to take to keep them safe? Tidus x Cloud.


"Just try to hold still," Cloud urged, voice low and firm. He held Tidus' shoulders tightly to keep him from shaking, but he was pretty sure he was in shock. The last blast of Kuja's magic had clearly broken his forearm in several places, shattered it, really. Cloud ushered Tidus into a small cove; the surrounding rocks looked to be enough to hide them for the time being, at least until more enemies showed up. He sat Tidus down on the ground, but even as he knelt in front of him, Tidus' eyes didn't meet his own. They were blank, and his face was frighteningly pale.

"Tidus," Cloud said, his voice still firm. There was no response, but Cloud refused to panic. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a potion bottle. He shook it and sighed when he found it to be almost empty. Regardless, he took the top off and brought the bottle to Tidus' lips. With a hand on the back of his neck to support him, he helped Tidus consume the remains of the potion. When Cloud let go of him, Tidus' head fell limply against the rock wall behind him.

Cloud quickly placed the cap back on the bottle and stuffed it back into his pocket before moving to take a better look at Tidus' arm. Carefully, his hands moved to the injured limb, and his fingers felt for broken bones. Cloud's fears were confirmed when he felt that Tidus' forearm was definitely in more pieces than it should have been.

"O-ow," Tidus whimpered, and Cloud's gaze shot up to look at him.

"Sorry. You okay?"

"Nng, no." Tidus' eyes shut tightly. Cloud swallowed hard as he tried to think of what he could do to ease the pain, but with the last of his potion gone and his healing materia back with the rest of the group, he was at a loss.

"Here," he finally said. He reached for his left arm and tore off the black cloth that was covering it.

"We can try to make a sling to keep it steady. Might make it easier on you when we head back to camp," Cloud explained. Tidus watched as Cloud gently wrapped the cloth around his neck, but as he brought it down to his arm, Tidus tensed up.

"It's okay. Just relax," Cloud told him, as softly as he could. He waited for the tension to leave Tidus' body before he tried again. He'd just barely lifted Tidus' arm when Tidus let out a painful howl. Cloud released the injured limb and let out a sigh. Getting his companion back to camp would be more difficult than he thought.

"Over this way!" came a deep voice, followed by the sound of armored footsteps. Cloud's eyes widened at the sound of the enemies approaching. They must have been hiding, just waiting for Tidus and Cloud to give away their location.

Cloud moved a little closer to Tidus, hoping to get himself a little more out of sight. That was when he noticed the look of sheer panic on Tidus' face. He was biting his lip to distract from the pain in his arm, and it sure didn't look like it was working.

"You're okay, Tidus," Cloud whispered, trying to reassure him. "Just stay quiet, alright?"

Tidus released a shaky breath, but only sucked in another one. Cloud's nerves tangled themselves in knots as he watched Tidus' breathing grow quicker and more sporadic. He looked like he was about to let out another painful holler at any second. Cloud panicked. His mind raced to find a way to prevent Tidus from leading the enemies right to them.

Tidus shuddered, and opened his mouth, but before he could release a sound, Cloud's lips mashed themselves up against his own. To say Tidus was startled would have been quite the understatement. The shock of the kiss was enough to completely take his mind off of his broken arm, and he was even more surprised when he found himself kissing Cloud back.

Cloud could feel his face becoming flushed, and he couldn't even begin to fathom why his brain had come up with _this _solution to their problem. He wished he could pull away, but part of him didn't want to risk putting Tidus in pain again. Another part of him—a part that he _really_ wanted to ignore—didn't want to pull away from the warmth on his lips, a warmth that he hadn't shared with anyone in a very long time.

Tidus finally pulled away when he couldn't last any longer without air. Blue eyes met turquoise ones, but the latter's gaze turned away just as quickly as it had come. Cloud lowered his head, and listened as the enemies marched passed their location. He waited until the footsteps had completely faded until he looked up at Tidus again. Tidus' face was still twisted up into a look of pain, but there was another emotion tugging at the corners of his lips. Happiness? Cloud cleared his throat, trying to ignore that look.

"Let's get you back to camp," he said, moving once again to tackle the pesky sling.

* * *

It took a few days before Tidus was feeling well enough to get back on his feet again. He'd spent the days lying in his tent, under Cecil and Firion's care. He'd slept a lot, drunk a lot of potions—maybe even a few too many as he'd gotten pretty lightheaded at one point—and for a long time, he just thought. In fact, he couldn't _stop_ thinking about what had happened a few nights before with Cloud. It had been strange, and confusing, but there was no denying that it had also felt good.

Once his mind was on Cloud, Tidus started to wonder about a lot of other things. Like, if he was the first guy Cloud had ever kissed. Or if he was the first _person_ Cloud had ever kissed, though he doubted that. Cloud was quite the catch. It seemed weird to think that no one would have sought out someone so attractive, and so kind. Tidus could never forget how kind he was.

Finally, Tidus couldn't stay in bed any longer, and he ventured out of his tent to find Cloud. His search didn't take long. Cloud was only a minute or two from the campsite. There he sat by the riverside, sharpening his ridiculously enormous blade. Tidus smiled, and proceeded toward him. Cloud looked up when he felt him at his side.

"Mind if I sit?" Tidus asked.

"Be my guest," Cloud replied, hardly meeting Tidus' gaze. Tidus sat down beside his companion, careful not disturb his arm that was still wrapped in Cloud's makeshift sling. It was a simple comfort that Tidus hadn't wanted to part with.

"So, that was a pretty close call the other night, huh?" Tidus smiled.

"Guess so," Cloud quietly agreed.

"And that kiss... Wow, that was something!"

"T-that wasn't a— A kiss," Cloud tried to correct him.

"Oh, wasn't it?" Tidus smirked. He glanced to the side to see Cloud staring at him with slightly rosy cheeks.

"I was just trying to make sure you didn't shout and give away our position," Cloud said, tossing his sword aside and folding his arms. He tried to focus on cooling down his cheeks, but it only made them burn more.

"Well, whatever it was, I liked it," Tidus said with a grin. He stood up and brushed himself off with his good arm. "And you know what?"

Cloud shivered as he felt Tidus lean in close to his ear. His breath was warm on his skin as he spoke.

"I might not mind getting hurt more often. You know, as long as _you're_ around." Tidus gave one last smirk as he walked away, leaving Cloud sitting there dumbfounded. Cloud closed his eyes and buried his warm face into his hands. It would be a long time before he lived this one down.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this little read! If you liked it, please leave a review, and let me know if I should upload some more ficlets about these two. I have quite a collection of them now:) And if you're interested in seeing more Tidus/Cloud stories, fanart, etc., please check out my tumblr blog: clidusshrine. tumblr. net (remove the spaces). Thanks!


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